Always Together is SO Embarrassing
by Free Hero
Summary: Takes place after the last episode. Who knew that just being around each other could cause so many problems? -ABANDONED.-
1. Prologue: Intentions

**Always Together is SO Embarrassing**

**Chapter One**

**Intentions**

* * *

**A.N//: My second Karin fic. Let's fill this category with more stories. Ne! It needs more. Waaaaaay more. Pfft, 32 stories… Let's just hope I manage to finish this one though. (coughs) **_**Wedding Day…**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Karin. Yuna Kagesaki does. If I owned Karin... (claps hands)**

**Then I wouldn't have to go and buy the manga and novels, would I?**

* * *

"A loving wife's lunch box!!" Winner had said, dangerously.

"A loving wife's lunch box?!?" Kenta had said back, turning red.

In fact, just the memory of it made him turn red…

_'Save up money… Buy a good house… Even if it's rented… Good food… Her food… RICE!!'_ Kenta thought about Karin's bento. '"_I love Kenta…" That's what it had said…' _Someone tugged on his sleeve.

"Kenta-kun? Are you okay? You're all red." Karin said, smiling up at him. He laughed nervously.

"Er, yeah." _'Just thinking about you…'_ Karin immediately blushed. She stopped walking. Kenta looked at her.

"Karin?" Her head was bowed, so he couldn't see her face. "Karin?" he lowered his collar. "Do you need to bite?" She shook her head. Suddenly she looked straight at him; she was crying.

"Eh? Why are you crying?" Suddenly Karin ran at him and hugged him. Since he was taken aback, instead of embracing her; he awkwardly patted her on the back, and _then_ embraced her. Karin looked up at him.

"You were thinking about me?" She said, smiling through her tears. Kenta turned red (again) from embarrassment.

_'I said that out loud?'_ he thought.

"Yes, I was." They began walking again. Kenta was walking Karin home. The barrier was down for good (unless there was another emergency), since the Vampire Hunters weren't much of a threat anymore.

They finally made it to Karin's house.

"Kenta-kun?" Karin shyly asked.

"Yeah, Karin?"

"Thank you for helping me study." She said, twiddling her fingers. There right in Karin's doorstep.

"No problem." They were leaning closer, and closer…

"Hello, Karin. How was your studying----" Henry Marker had opened the door when they were very. Very. Close. Papa looked from Karin and Kenta (who had just jumped apart).

"Well, Kenta-kun. I'm just going to go in. Goodnight." Karin said fast, laughing nervously. She edged past her father and ran upstairs. She buried her head under her pillow.

"Gah! I can't believe Papa saw that! I almost kissed him!" She screamed into her pillow. Anju and Ren were listening outside her door.

"Good for you, Onee-chan." Anju said. Ren made a sound of distaste and walked off.

"Forgive Onee-chan, Onii-san." Anju said to his back.

* * *

_Meanwhile... With Kenta._

* * *

Kenta sat uncomfortably on an armchair in the den.

Henry glared at Kenta on the love-seat beside Carrera. (Carrera was smoking)

"So, Usui." Kenta bowed his head. Henry's eyes were red, and… Evil. There was a very dark aura surrounding him. Not that Kenta could see it, he could feel it. He sweat-dropped. Henry crossed one leg over the other, and leaned back casually. Kenta sat up straight, upright, stiff.

"Juice? Tea? Coff----" Carrera hit Henry on the head.

"Just get on with it!" She said, brandishing her slipper. Henry sighed, clutching his head.

"But it will be so awkward!" He protested. Carrera hit him on the head again.

"Get over it!" Henry whimpered. Carrera glared at him. Henry immediately went back to his former position. Legs crossed, arm resting casually on the armrest. Glaring.

"What are your intentions with my daughter?" Henry Marker said, staring at Kenta straight in the eye. Kenta recoiled back. He started sweating and the back of his neck turned red.

_'My intentions? What does he mea---- Oh. Oh. OH. Well, er…'_ He looked at Henry.

"I love Karin." He said. There was silence. Carrera looked at Henry.

"Well, there. You got your answer. Baka." She said. Henry stood up. He pointed at Kenta and whined like a little kid.

"But that wasn't a proper answer!" He said, screaming. He got a slipper thrown at his face again.

_'I don't know my intentions with Karin… But…'_ He stood up.

"I'll be a good boyfriend. I'll take care of her and do everything you can't do out in the sunlight. (And at night) Just like I promised. I'll watch out for her. I'll let her bite me again if she has to, and if she ever has a nosebleed, I'll cover for her." He sat back down. Henry and Carrera studied him for a moment. Henry sighed. Carrera went back to smoking.

"Ah, you may say that." Henry said, with a glint in his eye. "But, I think… You need a chaperone." Kenta stared wide-eyed at Henry.

_"Oro!?!"_ He exclaimed, almost falling off his chair. Henry went on, pretending not to notice his reaction.

"Ren could. Or Anju."

"Ren or Anju could do what?" Ren and Anju had walked in. (Karin had fallen asleep moaning about how the kiss was ruined and how it was so embarrassing)

"Your baka father wants a chaperone for Usui and Karin." Ren smirked as he sprawled on the couch. Anju sat stately on the other end.

"And how are we supposed to chaperone? We can't go out in sunlight." He said.

"You could send a bat!" Henry insisted.

"And what are we supposed to do if something happens? A bat can only do so much." Henry started at this. He bowed his head in defeat.

"Well, it's all decided then." Ren said. He looked at Kenta, his golden eyes flashing dangerously like a warning beacon. "Go home."

Kenta nodded and walked (stiffly) cautiously out of the room. Ren's still flashing eyes were following him out of the room.

"Onii-san." Anju said, speaking for the first time since she came into the room. Ren glanced over at her.

"Follow me." She said. She walked out of the room. Ren sighed and followed.

* * *

"Onii-san. Are you mad at Onee-chan? She asked.

_"Pfft."_ He said. Crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

"Onii-san. Please don't be mad at Onee-chan. She can't help loving Kenta." Ren growled and hit the wall.

"I'm not mad at damn bloody Karin! I'm mad at _'Kenta-kun'_!" he said, using a mock voice for 'Kenta-kun.' "I'm mad at _'Kenta-kun'_" he said in a barely controlled rage. "For taking my sister away from me." Anju stared at him quietly as Ren punched the wall, saying "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

"Ren." She said. She caught his arm before he punched a hole in the wall. She couldn't stand seeing her Onii-san like this; so vulnerable, so unhappy. So unlike the cold, "Sexy Creature of the Night". "Ren." She said again. "Go talk to Kenta." Ren looked at her for a moment, eyes shining. _'Your eyes shouldn't be shining like this, Onii-san.'_ Anju thought. He turned away.

"Fine."

* * *

**

* * *

A.N//: Ha ha. Do you want that next chapter? **

**Of course you want it. Pfft. **_**(shrugs)**_** Anyway, I'll write it as fast as I can. But I'll make sure it's good-quality work however. I am currently going under Beta/Editor changes.**

**Reviews and contructive criticism are welcome. No flames please. Give them to people who are cold and hungry and need a fire. **

**On a further note…**

**Onii-san: Older brother**

**Onee-chan: Older sister**

**Oh, and to those perverts. Ren doesn't like Karin _that_ way. He's just being over protective. (shakes head) Geez...**


	2. Brotherly Talk

**Always Together is SO Embarrassing**

**Chapter Two**

**Brotherly Talk**

* * *

**A.N//: I'm back! With a second chapter. Should I put recaps? …Hmmm… Maybe. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed.**

**Disclaimer: Karin belongs to Yuna Kagesaki. This pencil belongs to me. It is the successor of Mr. Pointy. Try and steal it. **_**(glares)**_

* * *

_Recap_

* * *

_"Fine." Ren said, walking towards the front door. Anju grabbed the back of his jacket. _

_"Onii-san." She said quietly. "Don't hurt him. She'll never forgive you." She let go of his jacket. He stood there for a moment. Then he walked away._

* * *

_End Recap._

* * *

Kenta walked away from the Marker house with his head bowed and his hands in his pockets. 

_"What are your intentions with my daughter?" _Henry had asked. It was still repeating in his head, his answer.

_"I love Karin."_ It was the first time he was able to say it without getting interrupted after just a few syllables. He sighed.

_'Karin was able to admit it. She wrote it in rice. That leaves just me to confess it to her…'_

"Usui." A dark menacing voice said behind him. It sent warning shivers down his spine. They were saying, _'Run away. Danger, danger!'_

Of course he didn't run away. Ren Maaka was right in front of him and blocking his way out.

"Usui." He said again. Kenta cleared his throat. He sensed it was an intervention between men, so he decided to take it like one. (He was also afraid of Ren and he could sense that he was mad at him. He didn't want to anger him further by running away or doing anything stupid)

"Yes?" he answered. Ren looked up at the night sky, his fangs and eyes gleaming. He glanced at Kenta with a fierce look in his eyes.

"Why did you take my sister away?" he asked, still looking at the sky. He looked at Kenta now. Kenta looked at him silently. Ren's eyes were gleaming. "Why did you come and steal her away from her family?"

"I didn't take her away." Kenta replied, stoically looked at Ren. Ren growled, showing off his white fangs.

"Bullshit! You did. The family hardly ever sees her anymore! School, work; I could understand that. But those precious hours before she goes to bed and after we wake are wasted on _**YOU!**_ I never see my little sister anymore!" Ren yelled, his golden eyes going feral. Kenta gave him a look. His hands turned into fists.

"If you don't see her anymore then it's not my fault!" he seethed. "You're the one who's always out with another woman! You're hardly ever home! Don't go blaming this on me!" Ren stared at him.

"At least I make time to see Okaa-san between everything I do! You hardly ever spend time with your family! When was the last time you played or talked with Karin without making her upset or cry?" he said, staring at Ren straight in the eye. Ren just stared back, shocked. He looked away.

"That's not true." He growled. He said this more to himself than to Kenta, as if trying to convince himself more than Kenta. "That's not true." Kenta's eyes narrowed.

"Karin's not out with me every night. Most of the time she's at home; studying or talking with the family. This is the first time in a while we've managed to spend some time together." He said. "Maybe you should get your facts straight first before you act on it." Ren looked like he was slapped in the face. There was a tense silence.

"You and your family still have her. I haven't stolen her. Just like how Karin hasn't stolen me away from Okaa-san. She still has me." Suddenly, Ren gripped his shoulders.

"At least promise me something then." He said. Kenta, taken aback, nodded. Ren Maaka was so vulnerable right now. Eyes shining, no cool, collected mask. Just… Ren, not hiding.

"Promise me you'll take care of her." He said, eyes pleading. Kenta nodded. Ren let go of his shoulders. His mask was back on. He glanced at Kenta. Kenta stared wide-eyed at him.

_'That was quick.'_ He thought. He sweat-dropped.

"But you do realize… As her older brother…" Ren said, smirking. His eyes had the same gleam Henry's had when he was talking about a chaperone.

_'Must be hereditary…' _

He showed off his fangs. "You hurt my sister, I beat the shit out of you. You understand?" he asked. Kenta nodded, flustered. "Good." A shower of black, and Ren was gone. Kenta looked around confusedly. He was right in front of his house now. But he was in the woods near Karin's home a minute ago...

_'Bats...'_

"Kenta?" his mom asked from the door. "What are you doing out here? It's getting cold, you better come in." Suddenly fox ears appeared on her head. Kenta looked at her oddly. (She was still under the effects of the bite) "Unless you're waiting for a secret love message?" Kenta turned red.

"Okaa-san! Nothing like that…" he said, waving his hands in an embarrassed gesture. Fumio Usui went inside, saying things like "My son is growing up!" and "GUTS!" Kenta sighed and followed her in.

* * *

Anju watched Kenta go in from her perch.

"Now I will talk to Onee-chan." She said. And she disappeared, like Ren, in a shower of black.

* * *

**A.N//: **_**(watery eyes)**_** Not as long as I wanted it to be. **_**(sighs) **_**And I don't believe it is up to par with the first chapter. But I did the best I could. Ren wouldn't let me tap into his head and put his thoughts in italics. **_**(sighs) **_**Oh well. All though I guess letting me write him in a vulnerable state was enough for him. But it would have added so much more to the chapter…**

**I feel sorry for Kenta. His girlfriend's father and brother after him. I'm playing on the male side of the family VS. boyfriend cliché, just like with the mother-in-law VS wife cliché. Third chapter will probably be up tonight, if I can manage it. It'll probably be like this one; not as long as I would like, but strangely statisfying in a way.**

**Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome. Flames are bad. They kill people who can't get out of their house before the smoke gets them.**


	3. Sisterly Talk

**Always Together is SO Embarrassing**

**Chapter Three**

**Sisterly Talk**

* * *

**A.N//: All right, to put something straight. **_**(look) **_**In ****THIS** **story, there is no Anju/Karin, got it? So you can stop P.Ming me. No incense, so you can go somewhere else or write your own. So er… When a certain sentence comes up in this chapter, it means that another cliché has been introduced. The- younger-sibling-resents-boyfriend-for-taking-away-older-sibling's-attention cliché. Got it?**

**I feel sorry for Kenta even more. He's got two cliché's after his head now.**

**If you look near the end of my profile you will see a **_**Coming Soon**_** section. There is a story called **_**Respectable Life.**_** That is the sequel to this. This was originally supposed to be 6 chapters, but it has been stretched to 20, and now has a definite plot and plan. The chapters should start to get longer by chapter four.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Karin. Me owning Karin is one the signs of the apocalypse. Another sign is a bunch of Death Eater wanna be's coming out of nowhere on black horses with red eyes. Methinks they should have given their horses some shots… And laid off on the arsenic, because I can see their bones.**

* * *

_Recap_

* * *

_Anju watched Kenta go in from her perch. She had seen all that had transpired between Ren and Kenta._

_"Now I will talk to Onee-chan." She said. And she disappeared like Ren, in a shower of black._

* * *

_End recap_

* * *

_They were sitting on top of a hill, serenely viewing the sunset. Suddenly he turned to her._

_"Karin." He said, staring into her eyes tenderly. She pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and blushed._

_"Kenta-kun." She whispered hopefully, looking into his eyes and tilting her head up._

_"I love you." he said. They kissed..._

* * *

_Back in the **real** world..._

* * *

"Oh, Kenta-kun! We can't do that!" Karin said, smiling nonetheless. 

"Onee-chan." Anju said, sitting on the bed. Karin screamed.

"_Gahhhh!_" she awoke. She sweat-dropped.

_'How does she do that?'_ she thought.

"Onee-chan." Anju said again. Karin sat up straight.

"Yes?" She replied, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes while doing so.

"Onee-chan. Were you dreaming about Usui-kun?" she asked, her solemn expression not changing.

"Eh… Why would you think that?" Karin said, embarrassed. She looked away, laughing nervously.

_'How much did she hear…?'_

"Onee-chan. Do you…" Anju faltered. This was never an easy subject.

"Onee-chan. What do you truly think of Usui-kun?" she asked instead. Karin blushed, but thought about it.

"I love him." She said. She zoned off and giggled. She spread her arms out. "This much!" She said, grinning. Anju nodded. Karin looked at her, coming out of her reverie. "Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to know." She replied.

_'As long as you're happy…' S_he thought. To tell the truth; she was jealous. She didn't hate Kenta. She just... Resented him. She didn't resent Kenta because she hardly ever got to see her sister anymore like Ren is. She resented at Kenta for taking away Karin's love. _'If I had brought Boogie-kun… I'm crying, aren't I?'_

"Anju?" Karin asked.

"Onee-chan. Are you happy with Usui-kun?" Karin blinked. She remembered how happy she had felt when Kenta had called her Karin instead of _Maaka._

"_Happy…_" She said, zoning off again, remembering what had happened.

"Onee-chan?" Karin refocused on Anju's question.

"Yes, I'm happy with him. Very happy." She replied. Anju nodded.

"Aa." Was her only answer.

"I just wish…" Karin said. Anju looked at her. "I just wish that he would tell me he loved me too." She laughed. "Sounds silly, doesn't it? But…" She looked down. "I need to hear it from him."

"Aa." They were both silent for a while.

"Onee-chan?" Anju started. Karin looked at her. "Stay happy with him." She said. She walked off of Karin's bed. She smirked. "I'm going to go look for something to eat." She walked out of Karin's room and closed the door quietly behind her.

_'Keep her happy, Usui Kenta.'_

* * *

Karin fell back down on her bed. She turned her head so she was looking out the window. 

_'Kenta… Do you love me?'_ She wondered. Suddenly her phone rang.

"_Gahhhh!_" She screamed, caught by surprise. She recoiled to the corner of her bed farthest from her phone. Then she regained herself and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Karin?" Karin blushed. It was Kenta.

"Oh hi, Kenta-kun!" she exclaimed. She could see him in her mind's eye; standing right outside the window in his P.J's, hand on one hip and his other hand on the phone.

"Er… Karin? We never had that date…" Karin turned redder.

_'That's right, we never actually went out…'_ They had missed each other.

"…And I was wondering… Do you want to go out tomorrow?" he asked, nervously. If it was at all possible, Karin turned redder. Kenta was blushing on his end too. Karin thought she heard Kenta's mom yell "GUTS!" and a flustered reply of "Okaa-san!" in the background. Karin laughed.

"I'd love to go out." She replied. Kenta sighed with relief.

"That's great! I'll go to your house at around… What time is good?"

"Maybe around 3? I'm not working tomorrow."

"Neither am I. So 3 then?" he said.

"Yep! See you tomorrow!" She was about to hang up when…

"Karin?" he asked, hesitantly. She felt her heart race.

_'Is he…?'_

"I- _I l_…"

'_…Confessing?' _She thought.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said, hanging up. Karin stared at her phone, and then hung up. Then she turned off the light and went to bed.

* * *

**

* * *

A.N//: __****(sighs)**** This is even shorter than the last chapter. But not to fear! Because now that the Prologue is done, Act One can begin. **

**Next Chapter: **

**"First" Date**

**Start Act One, Enter Winner and Maki!**

**Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome. Flames will be turned into an object for amusement. After all, we all know flames are only written by people who are too afraid to write themselves and are ashamed of that fact. Plus most of them have alot of spelling errors.**

**To answer that last private message by the way, I'm a girl. I thought it was obvious. **


	4. Start Act One: First Date

**Always Together is SO Embarrassing**

**Chapter Four**

**"First" Date**

* * *

**A.N//: Here now. Thanks to all who reviewed. Ready for Act One, ne?" **

**Btw, just to clear some things up early. Maki knows. So does Winner. Watch the god damn anime.**

**And on another note, I mixed up some things. Onee-chan is little sister; Onee-san is older sister. So don't be confused when you read Onee-san instead. Sorry for the inconvenience. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Karin. I own my inspiration, my writing ability, my writing style, and my will to improve and keep on writing. I also own this bag of sour soothers. Karin belongs to Yuna Kagesaki. She does not own my sour soothers.**

* * *

_Recap_

* * *

_'Is he…_

_"I- I l…"_

_'…Confessing?' Karin wondered, waiting hopefully, ear pressed to the phone._

_"I'll see you tomorrow." He said, hanging up. She stared at the phone, and then hung up. She turned off the lights and went to bed._

* * *

_End recap_

* * *

_-Riing- -Riiing- -Riiiing- -Rii-----_

"Hello?" Karin groggily asked.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE GOING ON A DATE WITH KENTA!?!!" The caller screamed. Karin jolted awake and fell off the bed. She groaned.

"Er, Karin? Are you all right?" Maki asked.

"_Oro…_" Karin said. She looked at her alarm and screamed.

"Karin? Karin! What happened?" Karin teared up.

"It's 2:35! I overslept!" She wailed. "Kenta's coming in 25 minutes!" Maki tsked over the phone. Suddenly the door opened.

"We can't have that! Not on your second date!" Maki exclaimed, loudly. (It was even louder because she was using her cell and she was in the same room with the person she was calling…) Karin sweat-dropped.

_'Why is she still using the phone if she's here…?'_ Karin hung up her cell.

"Why did you hang up? It would have been so much funner to talk through them while were in the same room!" Maki said. (She hung up even so)

"Do you want to pay for minutes? And it's our first date, not our second." Karin said. Maki scrutinized her.

"Go hurry up and take a shower. I'll pick out your outfit. You only have 20 minutes anyway." Karin yelped and ran towards the bathroom. Maki sighed and opened Karin's closet.

"This, oooo, never seen this before, this is cute, no, no, what is _this?_ No, no, cute, no…"

* * *

_6 minutes later…_

* * *

Karin's eyes sparkled. Maki looked proudly at the clothes on the bed. 

"You like it?" She asked. Karin nodded.

"It's so kawaii!" She said. Maki had chosen: a blue tank top (that faded as it went down), a button-up white t-shirt, and a jean skirt with a sash with faint hints of multi-colored streams going through it.

"Well, hurry up and put it on. You only have 10 minutes!" Chided Maki, grabbing the tank top and pulling it over Karin's bra.

"Eh? Hey!" I can dress on my own!" Karin cried, hurriedly putting on the rest of the clothes. She put on a pair of ankle socks and her white and green tennis shoes. Maki clapped her hands.

"Perfect!" Karin suddenly, started to cry again. (She had remembered something important)

""No, not perfect." Maki pulled out a tissue from her pocket.

"Why not?" She asked, handing it to Karin.

"I don't have enough time to make a bento!" She said, crying even more.

"Onee-san." Anju said, coming in.

"NO! Anju! The window!" Karin said, rushing to the close the curtains. "You could have gotten burned!" It was bright and sunny outside.

"You can't go out in sunlight. I forgot." Maki said, guiltily. (She had opened the curtains because she now knew that Karin paid the bills since she was the reason that her house even _got_ bills)

"It's okay." Anju said looking at Maki. Her gaze went back to Karin.

"Here." She said, revealing a bento. Karin sweat-dropped.

"Er… Anju?" Karin started.

_'You lost your sense of taste.'_ Anju seemed to know what she was thinking.

"I followed the recipe exactly. There shouldn't be anything wrong with it." Anju said. She handed it to Karin. Her eyes flashed. "Onee-san. You better hurry. He's here." Karin nodded and ran downstairs, Maki followed. Anju was left alone in Karin's room. She took a step as if to go after them, but stopped.

"Onee-san…" She looked at the blocked window. It was a barrier, a screen; preventing her from ever reaching her sister. It was also a reminder that they were _almost_ polar opposites; _almost _incompatible, but with enough similarities to get along… But not enough. "It might rain today…"

* * *

He had his fist all ready. He could just knock. A sharp tap on the wood, she'd know he was here. 

So why was it so hard?

_'C'mon. Just knock already! It's not like you haven't been to her house before.' _He sweat-dropped._ 'But those were under completely different circumstances!'_

After a time, he finally knocked on the door. The door opened and…

All of Kenta's hair stood on end; it was Ren. In his black satin pajama pants. _Only_ in his black satin pajama pants. He didn't look too happy. (But when has he ever, when it came to Kenta?) He looked quite menacing with his eyes flashing dangerously (again) and his body half in the shadows, but away from the light.

"Nothing funny." He said. "I'll be watching you." Kenta laughed at this, which showed off all his teeth. ( He laughed out of nervousness than at actually finding the sentence funny.) Ren seemed a bit alarmed at something for a second, but recovered quickly.

"I won't try anything '_funny_'." Kenta said. "I'm not a sex-crazed pervert like you who goes after anything with boobs and legs." Ren smirked.

"You think I care? I'm still going to keep an eye on you." He said.

"Onii-san?" Karin asked, quizzically. She had just come downstairs. Maki looked at Ren in awe, (blushing too because he was only wearing his pajama pants) She nudged Karin in the ribs.

"Onii-san? You never told me you had a brother." She whispered. Karin smiled nervously.

"Onii-san." She said again. "What are you doing up? The sun's still out. It's too early." Ren walked past them.

"I just said a _friendly_ hello." He said casually. Kenta sweat-dropped as Ren disappeared into the shadows. The he saw Karin. She was so, so, _so_…

"Kenta-kun?" Karin waved a hand in front of his face. "Are you okay again?" He shook his head.

"Ah, I'm fine." He saw Maki. "Oh, hi, Maki." He said. Maki smiled and side-stepped past Karin and Kenta.

"I'll leave you two to start your date now." She said, still smiling. She turned to look at Karin. "Tell me everything later." She mouthed. Kenta saw this and blushed. "Bye!" she waved, then she rain off. They both watched her go.

_'Have fun you two.' _Maki thought as she ran. She bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry!" She exclaimed, rushing to help the person out.

"Miss friend of---- Ma- Ma- Ma- Matou?" Winner said, leaping up. He was wearing normal clothing, since the only vampires around was the Maaka clan. Maki pinched his ear.

"Tokitou Maki!" She said, exasperated that he got her name wrong (again). She crossed her arms. "Winner-kun? What are you doing here?" He bowed.

"Oh, Ma- Ma- Ma- Kitty----"

"Tokitou Maki!"

"I was looking for you." Maki's heart skipped a beat. Unbeknownst to the effect his words had on her, he went on. "You were going to help me with my homework, oh Wonderful-Savior-San! But you weren't at the library, and your parents said you'd be around here…" He went on.

_'Oh, that's why.'_ Maki thought, dully. She gave herself a mental slap._ 'What were you expecting? For him to denounce Karin and proclaim his love for you? Get real…'_ Old feelings of jealousy re-blossomed in her heart. The marks on her neck disappeared. She grabbed Winner's hand and forced a smile.

"Come on. Let's start that homework of yours…"

* * *

_A Coffee shop near Amuse Square (Vol. 3 and 4, Manga)_

* * *

_So red… So hot… So full… Bite… No…_

"Karin?" Kenta looked at her worriedly. "Do you need to bite?" Karin snapped out of it. She shook her head, which made the blood swish around in her head even more. Suddenly, in the table next to them, there was a crash. Coffee cups smashed to pieces, and the table had over-turned.

_(1)_"YOU'RE BREAKING OFF THE WEDDING!" A woman (who looked to be in her late twenties) yelled. She was startlingly beautiful; with long black hair and pale skin. She was tall too, especially compared to the red-haired man sitting uncomfortably on his chair. All the people in the little shop were staring at them now.

"Well, this one met someone else… And this one did not want to lead you one, that I did…"

The woman began screaming again, but Kenta and Karin didn't hear the rest of the exchange. Kenta grabbed some yen out of his wallet, left it on the table, grabbed Karin's hand and ran out.

_So red… So… Must… Get rid of it… Somehow…_

She noticed that they had stopped moving, but she couldn't see properly. Her eyes were blurred with tears from the pain. She was panting…

_'That man was so unhappy… Telling that woman he had to break it off because he met someone else…' _She thought miserably. He blood had increased substantially (though not as much as it had with the incident with Winner's grandfather)

"Karin." She looked towards where his voice had come from. For some reason, he was the only thing she could see clearly. She saw him lower his collar. She shook her head, crying. Kenta sighed. "It's okay, you know. I don't mind." She nodded hesitantly, though still crying, and embraced him…

She sunk her elongated canines into his flesh. It was pure ecstasy, getting rid of all the extra blood. He had embraced back, and she though she heard him groan when she had first sunk her teeth into his neck. But still, he had embraced her not letting her go run off and expel her blood in another way. (Nosebleed)

When all the extra blood was gone, she let go and removed herself from his neck.

"Ah!" She said, sighing with joy. Kenta shook his head. He gave a weak smile and steadied himself against the wall. (He was dizzy from the blood)

"So you're okay now?" He asked. She nodded, giving him a guilty look. He caught it.

"You know, it's okay. If you ever have to bite, I'm here." Karin nodded and looked away.

"But…"

"No buts." He grinned. "Now let's continue our date." Karin nodded. She pulled something out of her purse.

"I… Er… Brought you a bento." She said, still shy about it. "I didn't er… Make this one though. Anju did. I woke up late and…" She looked away. Kenta took it from her hands and smiled.

"It's okay. I'm sure Anju's bento is just as good as yours."

"But er… The thing is… Now that Anju is mature as a vampire… She doesn't have a sense of taste… Which means she can only taste blood, and human food tastes like sand now..." Kenta sweat-dropped.

"Oh." He tried to brighten up the mood since Karin looked so miserable. "But you never know, it might be fine." He said, opening it. It looked normal enough. He took a bite and…

"Hey, this is actually pretty good." He said, chewing thoughtfully. He looked at Karin, who was looking at him as if expecting him to collapse and die any moment. "Not as good as yours though, but still pretty good." Karin smiled.

"My compliments to the chef then." She said. He nodded in agreement. They both sat down.

"Thanks for the food." And then they began to eat.

When they were done, they put away the bento, and held hands (they blushed) and walked.

* * *

_7:30_

* * *

"What has my little sister done to you, Usui Kenta?" Ren muttered to himself, standing carefully in the shadows. The sun hadn't quite set yet. But once it started to, he had scouted the couple out, hiding in the shadows. When Kenta had smiled he had noticed something disturbing. 

"Humans don't have fangs like that." He said. He suddenly got a menacing look akin to Henry's whenever he talked about Karin and Kenta.

"And I won't let you touch my sister! DAMN YOU! Usui Kenta!" Suddenly the shadows shifted and the he quickly stepped back. He looked at the sky in annoyance.

_'Damn sunlight… I'm glad, I'm not forced to live in it anymore.'_

* * *

They were still holding hands. 

"So, what do you want to do now, Kenta-kun?" Karin cheerily asked.

"Do you just want to talk around a bit mor----"

"Usui Kenta! I challenge you to a duel! Knight of knight's; Winner Sinclair will fight for Karin-san's love!" Winner cried, coming out of nowhere. Maki was running after him, panting. She pinched his ear.

"You still need to finish the rest of your homework!" She yelled.

Winner went into an over-dramatic pose; arms around himself in a slumped way, his left index finger and thumb circling his chin, and a sad faraway look.

"Homework? Bah. Who cares of homework when Usui is off seducing Karin?" He said. Kenta flushed.

"Se- se-… Seducing!" He exclaimed. Winner went on.

"…So you see why I must challenge Usui Kenta to a duel. After all," His eyes sparkled, his pointed to Karin. "Didn't Shakespeare say _'Who would not change a raven for a magpie?'_" He said, dreamily. "And you! Karin-san! Are my magpie!" Maki, Kain and Kenta sweat-dropped.

_'It looks like we'll have to review English as well. It was dove, not magpie.'_ Maki thought. Karin's eye twitched.

_'Magpie! He thinks I'm a magpie?' _Karin thought, staring in horror.

_'That didn't make any sense…'_ Kenta thought.

Karin and Kenta started to walk off, annoyed at the interruption in their date.

"Wait! Karin-san!" He started to go after them. Maki grabbed his sleeve.

"Ma- Ma- Ma- Tamaki-san!" He whined. Maki pinched his ear again.

"Tokitou Maki!" She said. "Let's let them have sometime to themselves, kay?" She said, blinking innocently. Winner stared.

"Ah." He said, still staring.

"Now let's go finish that homework." Maki said, pulling him along. She bumped into someone (again) She cringed. It seemed she was bumping into people a lot lately. It was Ren.

"Hey, you." He said. Winner leaped. (He wasn't really looking at Ren, or he would have recognized him)

"A boyfriend? A secret lover? Tomoe-san!----"

"Tokitou Maki!" Maki sighed. "This is Karin's older brother, er…"

"You're Karin's friend, right?" Ren said, interrupting. Maki nodded. "Have you seen her?"

"Yep, you just missed her." She pointed in the direction they went. "Why do you as----" Ren pushed pass them and walked in the direction she had pointed in.

_'What is he…?' _She turned to Winner.

"Come on. You're going to have to review your English as well."

* * *

Ren's hand twitched. The sun had finally completely set, and they were _still_ out. 

_'And all they're doing is walking around…' _He looked at them seriously. _'And there's still the question of why the Usui kid has fangs… Could Karin's blood have changed him?'_

"Kenta-kun? Does Fumio-san like working at Julian?" Karin asked.

"Yeah. She's a lot happier now that she's gotten a steady job." His eye twitched. "All though it's embarrassing to be working alongside with her…" Karin laughed.

"Ah, Kenta-kun…" She was blushing. She was looking down at her hands.

"Karin?"

"I… I was wondering…" He waited patiently.

"I was wondering…" She looked up at him. "Do you love me?" She asked. Kenta blushed.

_'Now's your chance, just say it… SAY IT! Dammit, why is it so hard…?'_

"Well, I... I- I- _I_…" He said, flustered. "I lo----"

Suddenly a shock put came out of nowhere and hit the ground near Kenta's feet. He jumped and yelped. Ren stepped out of the bushes. He picked up the shock put and smirked at Kenta, which Karin didn't see.

"Sorry about that, I was practicing." He said. Karin looked at him oddly.

"Why were you practicing shock put? It's a human thing. Shouldn't you be chasing stressed out skirts around this time?" Karin asked. Ren laughed and ruffled Karin's hair, to her dismay.

"Chasing skirts?" He said, sarcastic-mock hurt on his face. "You hurt me dear sister." Karin made a little scream of exasperation.

"Stupid Onii-san!" yelled Karin, walking off in a huff.

"Hey you! Usui." Ren said. Kenta had started to go after Karin. He stopped.

"There's something strange with you. I think it may have to do with Karin's blood. So be careful about it next time." He walked back into the bushes, still holding the shock put.

"WHAT?" Kenta yelled. Ren just smirked sardonically and walked into the bushes, tossing the shock put up and down. He half turned.

"And Usui?" He threw the shock put. "Catch." It landed on Kenta's foot.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Ren just laughed. Kenta picked up the shock put, threw it in the direction Ren disappeared into and ran to where Karin went.

He caught up to her, wincing as he placed his foot on the ground each time he took a step. "Karin!" She turned.

"Stupid Onii-san…" She muttered. She saw him wince. "What happened?" Kenta rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well you see…" _'I can't tell her what he said…'_ "He was wondering if he was throwing the shock put right and it fell on my foot." Karin blinked.

"Oh." Kenta looked at his watch. He was disappointed with the time.

"It's getting late… And your dad will have my head if I bring you home too late." Karin nodded.

* * *

They were in front of her house. 

"Today was fun." She said, grinning. Kenta was grinning too.

"Yeah." They were leaning closer, and closer… And closer…

And the door opened, yet again.

"Hey Karin. Get in, it's late." Ren said, glaring at the two. Karin and Kenta leaped apart.

"I'll see you later?" Kenta asked.

"I'll see you later." Karin confirmed. She walked in, smiling.

* * *

**A.N//: Anyway about the _(1)_ . Anyone like Rurouni Kenshin? That's right, it was Kenshin and Tomoe (I hate Tomoe). And the 'someone else' is Kaoru. No, they're not part of the actual storyline for this story, and they never will be. I refuse to write a crossover, unless it's a parody, and if I ever happen to get high for some reason. I do not own Rurouni Kenshin by the way.**

**Oh, and I have no idea how Maki found out about the date... She just... Knows things.**

**I was in a play at my school, A Midsummer Night's Dream. In case you don't know, its by Shakesphere. I was Titania, the Fairy Queen. **

**This is the longest chapter I've ever written… Ever.**

**I now have manga vol. 3 and 4. And the first novel. There are 6 out in English. So 4 more then. **

**Chapter Four: Unintentional (Intervening)**

**Henry interferes! Ren studies. And Kenta and Karin become closer as a couple.**

**Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome. It's too hot outside for flames, so I'll pass thanks.**


	5. Unintentional Intervening

**Always Together is SO Embarrassing**

**Chapter Five**

**Unintentional (Intervening)**

* * *

**A.N//: I'd like to stick something out here. I **_**NEVER**_** get past the fifth chapter. So this chapter will probably not be up to par with the earlier (and later ones, for some odd reason I can skip chapter 5 and just go on to chapter 6 and everything will be fine…) This chapter will probably be among the hardest to write. Thanks to all who reviewed, in person or via… The review feature. **

**Warning: Quite a bit of fluffy moments. I'm choking, just thinking about writing it… And I write fluff into all of my stories so you can TELL there's going to be quite a lot in this chapter… If I'm choking…**

**Disclaimer: I am a young, poor, (and drop-dead gorgeous, ha ha) writer who owns nothing but my imagination, and Mr. Pointy the fourth (my pencil). Karin belongs to Yuna Kagesaki, who is in her 30's, probably pretty (I don't know, my manga is in black and white) and probably not poor. Anything else you may recognize belongs to their respective owners.**

* * *

_Recap_

* * *

_"Yeah." They were leaning closer, and closer, and closer… And closer…_

_And the door opened, yet again._

_"Hey, Karin. Get in. It's late." Ren said, glaring at the two. Karin and Kenta leaped apart (much to their disappointment, dismay, and annoyance)_

_"I'll see you later?" Kenta asked hopefully (though already knowing the answer)_

_"I'll see you later." Karin confirmed. She walked in, smiling._

* * *

_End recap_

* * *

Anju slept in a chair while Ren tiredly searched through heavyold, dusty books. One small bat hung onto Ren's shoulder, also blinking tiredly. 

They had stayed up all night, (and morning) going through the family's collection of books, family trees and old notes to find any sort of explanation for Kenta's fangs. The bat was a sort of translator, since neither Ren nor Anju could understand the weird language that most of the books, family trees and old notes were written in. Anju had fallen asleep a while ago; a book still open in her lap. Ren could hardly keep his eyes open. The bat squeaked. Ren shook his head. The bat squeaked and whistled insistently. Ren sighed, defeated by the bat.

"Fine, but just one more." He reached out a limp and pale (paler than usual) hand and grabbed an old yellowed sheet of paper.

After reading a few sentences (with some helpful squeaks from the bat), Ren's eyes widened.

"Onii-san?" Anju asked, waking up. Ren started reading out loud.

_"Though humans do not turn into vampires as what is perceived by most humans (foolish, inferior creatures). Repetitive biting by the __**same**__ vampire to the __**same**__ human will result in physical changes to the human anatomy. This process of change will be quickened exponentially by constant company. _

_The human, though no changing into a vampire, will gain qualities of the vampire; such as fangs, and __**slightly **__heightened senses, (hearing, sight, ect). The said human will also have (subtle, and depending on the vampire) faster reflexes, and may gain a better (but not by much) immune system and a quickened healing process; recovering from even the most fatal injuries (such as bullet wounds, which they whine about constantly) at the rate of any mainstream vampire._

_In addition to these physical changes, the human's life span will be lengthened greatly and aging will be slow. As biting mixes one's genetic material, a link will be formed. Once the vampire dies, for example, the human will follow instantly, and vice-versa. Besides these changes, there is no actual change to the psyche (mind) of the human. All though cases like these are rare, there are not non-existent. The changes are permanent and irreversible. Any attempts to reverse these changes will result in death to both, and so should not be attempted._

_The human can still continue to live under the sun (which is pointless, bright, and yellow) and live a 'normal' human life. The onion family (smelly) can __still__ be tolerated (except in rarer cases) by the human, provided there isn't too much of it. However, any Christian or Catholic-related religion following humans will have to revert to Atheist, just because the vampires say so. The vampire will not change. At least, there are no changes that are known. The human will not develop a taste for blood, as this is an aspect only unique to vampires (the other blood-sucking creatures copied us)." _Ren finished reading. His voice was hoarse.

"Onii-san. Onee-chan isn't a normal vampire. Perhaps it is different for her and Kenta." Anju said. "Also, she's only bitten him twice."

"This process of change will be quickened exponentially by constant company." Ren quoted. "School, work." His eye twitched. "Dates."

"Onii-san. There's more on the back of the page." Ren turned it over.

_"Should there be any children born to any of the two (with each other, or with another spouse), the children will take after the race of the __father__. If the father is the vampire, the child will be born a vampire (score). If the father is the human, the child will be human; though with the same vampire qualities obtained by the father._

_(On a looser note, any human with a vampire is lucky. After all, who gets __**it **__**on**__ better than vampires? (1)Bow chika bow wow…)"_

While reading this paragraph (especially the last sentence), Ren's eye and hands were twitching madly.

"Like **HELL** I'll let you get hitched and have kids with my sister…" He started making strangling gestures and muttered some unintelligible mutterings. Anju sweat-dropped.

_'Onii-san, did you lose your mind again?'_

"Onii-san." She said. He was still… 'Choking' Kenta. Somewhere in Shiihaba Park, Kenta sneezed.

"Are you okay, Kenta-kun?" Karin asked. Kenta nodded.

"Onii-san." Anju said, louder. She sighed. "REN! THERE'S A MAN!" Ren jumped, this had obviously snapped him out of his reverie. He cleared his throat. He frowned.

"I think our dear sister shouldn't be told this." He said.

"Why not?" Anju asked.

"Because as much as I hate to say it… Usui really makes her happy. And if she finds out she'll be too guilty to even look at his shoes. And then she'll be more pathetic than she already is." He said.

"What about Kenta, Onii-san." Ren sighed.

"I guess we'll have to tell him."

* * *

_In the park_

* * *

Kenta had sneezed several times in a row. He had stopped, but his nose was now all red. Karin felt his forehead. 

"You're not sick, I don't think." Karin said, scrutinizing him. He was sitting on a bench. "But you did sneeze quite a lot."

"I'm fine, really." Kenta said. Karin put her hands on her hips.

"Are you sure?" He grinned mischievously.

"Well, I _do_ hurt." He said.

"Where?" Karin asked, oblivious and concerned.

"Well, here…" He went in for the dive…

And their noses collided, making it a very awkward first kiss.

"NOOOOOOOOOO! MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER! MY BABY! HER INNOCENCE STOLEN!" Henry Marker screamed, falling out from a tree. Kenta and Karin leapt apart and yelped.

"PAPA? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Karin yelled. Henry's eyes were watering.

"I WAS TRYING TO GUARD MY BABY'S SWEET INNOCENCE!" He pointed at Kenta. "BUT YOU TOOK IT BEFORE I COULD SAVE HER!"

"Papa!" Karin exclaimed. Henry didn't pay any heed.

"KENTA USUI!" He said in a dangerous tone of voice. Kenta started sweating.

"Er, yes… Sir?"

"BE A GOOD FATHER TO MY GRAND-CHILDREN!" Kenta tripped over.

"Fa-fa-fa FATHER?" He exclaimed, turning red.

_'If I was a father, then that would mean part of my dream for a respectable life would have come true… But it would also mean that me and Karin would have to… Have to…'_ If it was at all physically possible, Kenta turned redder. He had just kissed her, for the first time. He wasn't ready to be thinking of _that_.

"PAPA!" Karin cried, also turning insanely red. She stomped off.

"Too young, too young…" Henry started muttering. Kenta sweat-dropped.

_'It was ONE kiss.'_ He ran after Karin. He almost tripped over a tree root, but quickly caught himself.

"Karin!" He heard a very faint cry. He hurried over to where he had heard it from.

It was Karin, passed out from a nosebleed. He heard a melancholy voice so he quickly picked her up and hid them behind a bush.

_(2)_There was a sigh and a glimpse of silver hair. "Why won't the church pay me more than a feeble pay? I'VE SAVED THE VATICAN MORE THAN ONCE FOR GOD'S SAKE! Oh, sorry.' There was a grumble. "I'll have to find some food somewhere…" And the silver-haired person walked away. Kenta sighed in relief. Luckily, the person who passed by didn't notice the blood on the ground.

Karin still hadn't woken up, so he put her on his back, and walked towards her home.

* * *

_'So warm…'_

"Are you awake then?" Kenta asked. She nodded into his neck (not saying anything because she was still waking up).

"Please don't do that." Kenta said, quietly. She woke up completely at this.

"Sorry, my blood just increased and you weren't around…"

"It's okay, but I wasn't talking about that." He said.

"Then what were you talking about?" Karin asked, curious.

"What you did on my neck just now." She blinked.

"All I did was breathe out." She said. She laughed. She breathed on his neck again.

"Stop that! It tickles!" He said. She grinned.

"Stop what?" She asked, innocently. She breathed on his neck again. And again. Finally he just burst out laughing and fell down. Luckily, there was a convenient hill right by where he was carrying her so they just rolled down it.

He started tickling her. She was laughing in agony.

"Stop that!" She managed to say between laughs. He juts continued to tickle her. She rolled so she was she was on top of him. They were both blushing.

"Stop tickling me." She whispered into his neck. He blinked.

"And why should I?" He asked, sitting up. (They were positioned so that he was leaning back, and she was still on top of him, with her arms pinning him down partly)

"Because then I'll breathe on your neck again." He grinned.

"Maybe I don't mind anymore." She grinned back.

"Well maybe I'll just keep on breathing on your neck then."

"You can't get what you can't reach." He said promptly, standing up. She stood up too.

"No fair!" She whined. "You're too tall." She crossed her arms and pretended to brood. He grinned and picked her up; bridal style.

"HEY, HEY, HEY! PUT ME DOWN!" She said, hitting him on the arm (not hard). He set her on a nearby low ledge and crossed his arms. Now they were the same height.

"Now I'm not taller." He said. She pouted.

"Yeah, now we're the same height." He blinked.

"Weren't you complaining a minute ago about me being too ta----" She grabbed his shirt and kissed him. She stepped down from the ledge and laughed at him. He was dazed from the kiss. He shook his head.

"Where did that come from?" He asked, still dazed. She smiled coyly.

"Well, you know…" He snapped out of it and looked straight at her.

"You haven't been kissing other guys right?" He asked, (mock) angry. She looked thoughtful.

"Well…" He blinked at this.

"Have you?" She laughed at him.

"No." She stepped on the ledge and flicked his nose. She wagged her finger around in a chiding manner. "You stole my first kiss today. So I stole another one from you." She laughed again and ran. He ran after her.

He caught her.

"Well, I'm going to steal another one." He said, leaning in. This time there was no awkwardness, no noses getting in the way; just bliss.

* * *

"Well, its getting late." Karin said, forlornly. Kenta nodded. 

"I guess we better start off going home then." He said. They walked home, hands linked.

* * *

_In front of the Maaka house_

* * *

"Goodnight." She said. They leaned in… 

"Usui." Ren said, his voice darker than usual. "I need to speak with you." Kenta looked back at Karin.

"Goodnight then." He said, hesitantly to Karin. Ren walked off. He turned, slightly.

"Follow." He said. Kenta obliged.

A while a way from the house, Ren turned around.

"Usui." He said. "You have fangs now." Kenta stared. He laughed.

"I grind my teeth a lot when I'm in a hard test, my teeth just got grinded to a point." Kenta started to walk off. Ren shook his head.

"No. It's because of Karin's blood." This stopped Kenta in his tracks. He turned around.

* * *

**A.N//: Dear, dear. Is this a cliffhanger? …Please don't shoot!**

**Sorry about any mistakes in grammar or spelling. I'm getting kicked off the computer very shortly, and I had to cut down my editing time.**

**This actually wasn't that hard to write after a while. All though the bombard of fluff made me die a little inside. Which is a bit extreme, considering I actually **_**enjoy**_** writing fluff. **

_**(1): **_**Anyone here play Halo? Red Vs. Blue. Hahaha, Tucker… At least I think it was Tucker. I know its not Lopez, Church, Tex or Caboose…**

_**(2)**_**: Poor Abel. Cardinal Caterina Sforsa should pay him more. Trinity Blood.**

**Chapter Six: Discovery!**

**Kenta finds out and hides the truth. WINNER ALMOST GET'S MAKI'S NAME RIGHT! **

**Review and constructive critisism please. Flames will be doused instantly, because it's raining outside.**


	6. Discovery!

**Always Together is SO Embarrassing**

**Chapter Six**

**Discovery!**

* * *

**A.N//: Writing chapter five made me die a little inside. Oh, Kami, glad that's over. But Kami, just because I know, I'm going to die at age 13. Because of this story, I just know it. Nice knowing you all. Thanks for reviewing to the people who bothered to review..**

**And to NefCanuck, I sort of referenced your review in here.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Karin, or anything you may recognize. Karin belongs to Yuna Kagesaki, and the rest belongs to whoever created them. Feh. Pfft.**

* * *

_Recap_

* * *

_"Usui." He said. "You have fangs now." Kenta stared. He laughed._

_"I grind my teeth a lot when I'm in a hard test. My teeth just got grinded to a point._**" **_Kenta started to walk off. Ren shook his head._

_"No. It's because of Karin's blood." This stopped Kenta in his tracks. He turned around._

* * *

_End recap_

* * *

He stared. They stood there for a while, just staring. Kenta; with stubborn refusal in his eyes, and Ren; with tired determination and shadows of pity. Kenta shook his head. 

"No. Karin's bitten other people than me, so why don't they have fangs?" Ren laughed.

"Baka. You've been bitten by her twice. In the same spot." Ren motioned to Kenta's bite marks. "The others have only been bitten once."

"Well, what about Okaa-san then? Karin's bitten her twice." Kenta argued.

"You're in constant company with Karin. It quickens the process."

"Process?" Ren sighed.

"So you're listening now." Ren pulled out the yellowed page of notes and handed it to Kenta. He took it, reluctantly. He read it, the stubborn expression on his face changing slightly by each sentence. When he turned the page, he turned red, though not as much as he usually would. He looked up, slowly.

"So does this mean I'm basically a superhuman?" He asked. Ren raised an eyebrow.

"If you put it that way. But your reflexes and senses have only been heightened slightly. You haven't noticed anything different, have you?" Kenta thought about it.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I noticed the fangs. But I thought that was because I was grinding my teeth. But I haven't noticed anything else." Ren looked up.

"Karin's never been normal. As a vampire or as a 'human'." He said. "Since she's missing some vampire characteristics you won't gain as much as you would if she had them."

"So basically, all I'm getting are fangs?" Kenta asked.

"Pretty much." Ren turned to go. He stopped. "However… I don't think… You should tell Karin this."

"She deserves to know." Kenta said. Ren turned around again.

"_**BAKA**_! Do you know what this would do to her?" He yelled. Kenta took a step back in surprise. "The guilt from knowing the truth would kill her!" His bangs shadowed his face, hiding his expression. "And I'm sure none of us want her dead." He walked away.

"Wait!" Kenta said. Ren just kept walking. He tried to run after him but a curtain of black bats suddenly appeared in his face; effectively blocking his vision and his mobility. When the bats had gone, he was in front of his house again. He sighed.

"Kenta?" Fumio was standing outside. She was holding the phone. "You have a call." Kenta smiled at her, went inside, and took the phone.

"Thanks, Okaa-san." He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Kenta-kun? Are you okay? Ren seems to be talking to you a lot and I'm worried." Kenta shifted uncomfortably. He was remembering Ren's words.

_'The guilt from the truth would kill her…'_ Kenta had an internal struggle now.

_'Do I tell her… Do I be honest like I always am… Or do I save her from the truth…? Dammit… What do I do… I… I…' _Kenta's hand clutched the phone tightly.

"Kenta-kun? Hello?" Karin asked, concerned at his silence.

_'I'll do it.'_

"No, nothing's wrong." Kenta said, making an effort to put a smile into his voice, so unlike the broken-hearted expression on his face. He heard Karin sigh with relief.

"Good then. Goodnight, Kenta-kun." She said.

"Wait!" He suddenly cried out.

_'Can I… Can I…'_

"Yes?" Karin asked curiously.

_'Dammit, just do it… __**TELL HER…**_

"I… I… He… It's not…" Karin waited patiently. On her end of the phone, she was holding her breath.

_'Please be… Confessing…'_ She thought.

"I…"

_'The truth has never hurt this much… I'm so sorry… Karin.'_ Kenta thought sadly. He spoke three words.

"I love you." He hung up.

**End Act One**

* * *

**A.N//: Act One is over. Act Two has yet to begin. The next chapter will come very… Very… Fast… Faster than you think.**


	7. Winning Winner

**Always Together is SO Embarrassing**

**Chapter Seven**

**------- ------**

* * *

**A.N//: Guess what this ****isn't****. Oh Kami, you're all going to kill me. Thanks to the people who reviewed.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Karin. Karin belongs to Yuna Kagesaki, who lives in the world, which is in the galaxy, which is in the universe, which is all in someone's smelly gym locker. That's why we lost part of the ozone layer folks, because someone dropped the universe and part of the ozone layer fell off. Also, that same someone forgot to wash their gym socks, so it stunk up some places.**

* * *

He was confused. It was all so different. She wasn't different though, it was him.

At least, it felt different.

Actually, it wasn't different. He's felt this way for a while. But not about _her._

"Winner-kun?" Maki said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Do you know where you went wrong now?" She asked. "It's _dove_, not magpie."

"But Wonderful Savior-san!"

"Tokitou Maki!" Her eye twitched. She was getting tired of this. She rolled her eyes. "No buts. You can't rewrite Shakespeare." Winner slumped in his chair, crossed his arms and starting muttering. He glanced back at her every now and then.

_'Maybe she grew taller…?' _He shook his head hurriedly. _'Makeup?'_ He started studying her over his English book. _'Bright emerald eyes, nice nose, very nicely shaped li--- NO! Bad Winner, bad Winner! Remember the wonderful beautiful Karin-san! Love of your life!'_ He started hitting himself on the head. Passerby's in the library stared and went on. Maki caught his hand.

"Winner-kun? What are you doing?" Winner stopped and laughed nervously. He noticed that she was still holding his hand. He slowly started turning red.

"Well, er… I was trying to stamp the knowledge into my head, Wonderful Savior-san!" Maki blinked.

"I don't think that will work." Winner laughed again.

"Er, yes. Neither do I." Maki looked at him oddly and began tutoring him again. He didn't really process any of it.

He was remembering that kiss. The kiss she had given him right after she had given him the scarf. He was surprised, since she had just grabbed him and kissed him.

He was missing it now.

Winner immediately recoiled into his chair at this thought and fell over.

"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" He started screaming. "WINNER SINCLAIR, WILL NOT BE A SCOUNDREL AND THINK LIKE THAT!" The librarian came and tapped her foot.

"Excuse me, but I'll have to ask you two to leave." She motioned to the rest of the library. "You're being too loud and the other students can't concentrate." She glared at them while they cleared up their stuff and left. He sighed. Maki looked at him cheerfully.

"It's okay. It was getting stuffy in there anyway." She said. He looked at her. He tried to recall Karin's face and that warm fuzzy feeling that came with it, but failed. When he looked at _her_ however, that warm fuzzy feeling was there. He sighed again.

"I'm sorry anyway, Maki-san." Maki inhaled sharply. She stopped walking.

"You said my name right, Winner-kun." He nodded.

_'There's something different about you, Wonderful Savior-san.'_

* * *

**A.N//: This is called Winning Winner. It's a side-story, a tease; if you will. I'll only put them up when an act has finished, it gives me time to edit and look over the beginning of the next act, and it gives you guys something to read while I do so. Chapter Eight should be up today, just a couple of hours after this one.**

**Chapter Eight: Hard to Hide From You**

**Start Act Two. Karin starts to notice something different and gets suspicious. **

**Please review and give me some constructive criticism, if you have any. It's raining again today, so you'll have to keep your flames to yourself or else they'll go out.**


	8. Start Act Two: Hard to Hide From You

**Always Together is So Embarrassing**

**Chapter Eight**

**Hard to Hide From You**

* * *

**A.N//: I see that I am not dead… Yet. And is it just me, or are these chapters getting… The only word for it is 'sexier.' Because… Nevermind. Let's start Chapter Eight, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Karin or anything I may reference, so stop asking. Yuna Kagesaki owns Karin and I'm broke, so I can't attempt to even try to try to buy it. Not that I would. Try to try.**

_

* * *

Recap_

* * *

_'The truth has never hurt this much… I'm sorry… Karin.'_ _Kenta thought sadly. He spoke three words._

_"I love you." He hung up._

_

* * *

End recap_

* * *

Kenta was an odd mix of emotions. On the brighter, more positive side of his emotional spectrum; he finally told Karin that he loves her. 

On the other side, he kept the truth from her and lied. And it was eating him up from the inside out.

"Kenta?" Fumio asked. "Are you okay?" Kenta came out of his breaking reverie.

_'I can't make Okaa-san worry on top of everything I've done already.' _He thought. _'I've done enough.'_ He pasted an empty smile on his face and made every effort to make it seem real. It broke his heart even further in the process.

"I'm fine." He said. "Just tired." He yawned for effect. Okaa-san scrutinized him; studying him carefully. He looked at her pleadingly,

_'Please believe me.'_ She seemed to get the message, but not after a questioning look came and faded did she relent.

"It must be all the pressure from work! You should cut down on your hours or you'll make Karin-chan worry." Kenta inhaled sharply at the sound of her name. Fumio didn't seem to notice. She leaned forward enticingly.

"I heard you tell Karin-chan you love her! My little boy is growing up!" She exclaimed. (The effect of Karin's blood was still ongoing)

"_Okaa-san_!" Kenta said, half-heartedly.

"So, what did she say?" Kenta flushed (slightly) and looked away.

"I… Hung up before she could say anything." He said quietly. Fumio tsked.

"Now you have to wait for an answer."

_'I don't deserve an answer…'_

_

* * *

With Karin_

* * *

Her eyes widened. 

_'He… Loves me…'_ She sat on her bed, not doing anything. Then she suddenly erupted.

"HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME!" She started screaming, jumping up and down. Suddenly a slipper came and hit her on the head.

"Baka! Stop screaming." Carrera said. "We're about to go hunting." She left.

"Yes, Ma'am." Karin said, still dazed from the slipper. She dreamily lay down on her bed.

_'He loves me…' _She fell asleep.

Anju watched from the side of the doorway and sighed.

_'You win. Usui Kenta.'_

* * *

_The next day_

* * *

Kenta walked forlornly to work with his hands in his pockets and his head down. To add effect to his angsty mood; it was raining. Quite hard. And he had given his mother his umbrella. 

He was working with the _(1) _Black Dog Damien company in Amuse Square again today, so the walk was pretty far. Karin was working in Julian alongside his mother the same day, so he wouldn't have to face her until later.

He sighed.

_'What do I do when I see her…' _He laughed a bitter laugh. _'At least I've done one thing right.'_

"Kenta-kun!" He spasmed.

_'Too soon… Too soon… What do I do?'_ Karin ran up to him. She stood on tiptoe and tried to hold her umbrella over them both. He laughed; he couldn't help it. She looked so cute doing that. He took the umbrella from her and held it over them.

"Aren't you working?" He asked. She smiled.

"You sound like you don't want to see me." She said, jokingly.

_'Not right now, not before I can figure out what to do…'_ Regardless of this thought, he smiled.

"And why wouldn't I?" He said.

"I don't know…" She looked at him teasingly. "Maybe you have a huge secret that you're keeping from me." Kenta sweat-dropped.

_'She has no idea…'_ He laughed.

"I'm working in Amuse Square again today." She said, in response to his question. "For that Chinese restaurant with the creepy manager." He nodded. She studied him.

"Are you okay? You seem a bit different today: distant." She said.

"Hmmm? Oh, I'm just tired. Don't worry about me." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. She took his hand.

"C'mon, we're going to be late for work." They ran the rest of the way.

* * *

"I'll see you later, kay?" Karin asked. She ran inside the restaurant. He watched her go in and realized he still had the umbrella. He saw the manager, told her to give it back to Karin, and proceeded to go in his angsty parade. 

"I'll see you later." He said to no one. He bumped into somebody (he was looking down).

"Oh, sorry." He said, still looking down and walking away. Ren stared after him. (He was outside because it was very rainy and cloudy. He was wearing a thick black coat as well, with a hood, so it protected him to a certain degree.)

_'What's wrong with him?'_ He thought.

* * *

"Just one more delivery." Kenta nodded and wiped his brow. It was another busy day; but it meant more pay. "We're going to that Chinese restaurant, delivering some goods." Kenta stiffened. His boss stared at him oddly. 

"Well, come on." Kenta sighed and got into the passenger seat.

_'Well, I'll just act like I usually do around her.'_ He thought.

It wasn't a far drive, so they got the job over and done with quickly. He gave back the hat with the company logo on it (since it was the only uniform piece of clothing that came with the job) and said told his boss he didn't need a ride back.

"You sure?" His boss asked.

"Yeah, I'm meeting someone here." Kenta replied. As if on cue, Karin came out.

"Kenta-kun!" She tripped, and Kenta caught her. His boss drove off. Kenta and Karin blinked.

"That was pretty fast, Kenta-kun." She said, grateful. He nodded.

_'I never would have been able to do that before… I was about 6 feet away!'_ He thought, troubled. Karin tapped him on the shoulder.

"Is everything all right?" She asked. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ah, yes." He said.

_'Ah, no.'_ She thought. Karin was seriously getting suspicious. _'Maybe… He didn't really mean it…'_

"Kenta-kun." She said suddenly, not walking. (They were walking home.) He turned.

"Yes?" He asked, it seemed to her he seemed a bit panicky. She looked away, uncomfortable.

"Did… You… Mean it?" She asked, still looking away and gripping her arm. Kenta felt a zip of pain flash across him.

_'She… Doesn't…'_ He went over to her, and embraced her.

"I meant every word." He pulled away and looked at her sadly. "You didn't believe me?" She started tearing up.

"Well, I…" She started. He stopped her.

"It's okay." He said, still looking at her with a sad gaze. "It's three words. Nothing else." She shook her head, now crying full force.

"It's just that… You've been… Acting so… Distant… And…" He nodded. And then he kissed her.

He put all his mixed emotions into the kiss; his despair, his hurt and… His love.

She seemed to get the last part.

They pulled apart, gasping for breath (it was a long kiss). He raised an eyebrow.

"Still doubting me?" He asked, still breathless. She shook her head.

"I don't think I doubted you in the first place." She touched her mouth. "Your teeth seem sharper." She pointed an unspoken question in his direction. He rubbed the back of his head.

"Ah, well. I grind my teeth if I'm in a hard test." He pretended to look surprised as he tentatively touched one of his fangs. "Didn't think I'd grind them to a point."

"You grind your teeth?" Karin asked. "I never knew that." He pulled her close.

"There's a lot you don't know." He growled seductively. She raised an eyebrow. He breathed on her neck and they both felt the shivers going down her spine (he had one of his hands on her back). "Would you like to find out?" He asked teasingly. A few weeks ago, he never would have even _**dared**_ to even _think_ about acting like this. But…

_'They'll be no actual change to the mind of the human… So… Why?' _

Karin batted him away, playfully though. She was blushing furiously.

"You're being really flirty today." She said.

_'Not that it's bad… But…_' She thought. _'Just… Unusual. And so unlike him…'_ Kenta laughed.

"So what if I am?" He asked, eyebrows waggling. She laughed at him and gave him a kiss on the nose.

"Then you are." She said. They continued walking.

"So how was your job?" She asked.

"Tiring, like always." She side-glanced at him.

"You should cut down on your hours you know." He shook his head.

"I don't have to contribute as much money as before, now that Okaa-san has a proper job." He said. "But… I'm saving up for my dream."

"A family, a good job, a good house, and good food!" Karin said, remembering. Kenta looked at her.

"And a loving wife." He murmured quietly, but loud enough for her to hear. Karin blushed and looked away. They walked silently for a while, not looking at each other.

"Dear dear, aren't we the couple." Ren said, his arm around a very busty woman. She touched Ren's chest protectively. She sent a glare towards Karin that seemed almost territorial.

"Ren, honey, who is **she?"**She asked, over-killing the honey on '**she'**, so it sounded almost feral. Ren smirked and touched her cheek.

"My little sister." The woman started at this and sent Karin an apologetic look. Ren looked at Kenta for a second and then to Karin and then back to the woman. "And her boyfriend." He said grudgingly.

"Why, love, were you jealous?" He asked teasingly. The woman flushed and started stammering.

"Careful now, I might have to send my youngest sister after you." At the woman's confused look, his smirk deepened.

"Don't worry, Akira. You're the only one I love."

"But after _(2)_ Roy…" Ren stepped away, dejected (seemingly).

"Roy still in your thoughts?" The woman nodded.

"I'm sorry!" She cried. She walked away. Kenta and Karin had gained horrified looks (and thoughts) at this cheesy exchange. Ren stared at her longingly; there was quite a bit of stress built up in this woman. He looked at Kenta and deliberately walked past them so he could whisper,

"Remember our deal." All though it wasn't in his intentions at all, Karin over-heard.

"What deal?" They both stiffened and Karin noticed. And they noticed that she noticed. Ren ruffled her hair, to her annoyance.

"Not for you to know, little sister." He shot a look over Karin's head to Kenta which said; _make-up-something-quick-or-I'll-beat-the-shit-out-of-you._

"He's thinking of working at an okama bar." Kenta said, unable to think of anything better faster. Both Ren and Karin choked up on this. Now Ren sent a look that said: _**FIX-THIS-NOW-OR-ELSE.**_

"There's a waitress that he's after. He said that if I can get him an application form… He'll let me date you." Kenta finished, lamely.

"Why you scheming, lying, bast----" Ren started. Karin looked at Ren oddly. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Nii-san? Okama bar?" Karin asked, confused. Ren glared at Kenta for a few seconds and then nodded slowly to Karin. Karin's eyes widened. Ren looked back to Kenta.

"Usui. We need to talk again." He motioned at Karin. "Go home already." He wrinkled his nose. "Get rid of the garlic gyouza smell." Karin tentatively sniffed her hand.

"I can't smell anything." She said, shaking her head.

"Pfft. Human."

"Onii-san!"

"_Go. Home. And. Take. A. Damn. Shower_." Ren glowered. Karin sighed and gave a silent apology (and goodbye) to Kenta, and started off home by herself. They both watched her go off and disappear.

"Okama? Bastard. Like I'd touch a man. You're lucky Karin is dense." Kenta was laughing: he had imagined Ren dressed up like a woman.

"Usui. We have that problem to discuss." Kenta stopped laughing.

"Haven't we discussed this enough already? I have fangs now, don't tell Karin. Got it."

"There are other explanations we didn't consider. Maybe it won't be different for you just because Karin isn't normal." Ren stated. "Or maybe it will be different. Just in a different way than we thought."

"Well I don't believe that." Kenta said. He turned to go.

"Your personality seems to have changed. You're more… Aggressive than before. That, among other changes to your personality." Ren smiled, purposely showing his fangs. Kenta looked up, though not turning around.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, taking care to put no emotion in his voice. Ren laughed.

"Lying too! Care, care, my dear mother might have to go after you. Kenta turned to face Ren. His eyes narrowed.

"You're calling me a liar? What about back there?" Kenta countered. "You're the only one I love." He mimicked. "How many women have you told that?"

"What I do or do not do is none of your concern." Ren said. "What we should be focusing on is----"

"Making sure Karin doesn't find out." Kenta finished. Ren stared at him.

"Pfft." He said, turning to go. "But even so, I'll be by to check every now and then. Whether you like it or not."

"Hey, wait!" Kenta called. Ren stopped.

"This is for Karin. Not for you. Maybe Dad's going to have to go after you as well." He left. Ren made a loose salute over his shoulder. Kenta just stared after him. He stared at his hand and then made a fist.

_'What's happening to me…?'_

* * *

_Karin's Room_

* * *

"Ah!" Karin exclaimed. It was all too much. "Ren wants to work at an okama bar?!?"

_'And there's also why Kenta-kun is so different…'_ She thought seriously. Then she relapsed.

"Ren wants to work at a bar where men dress up like attractive women! It's so embarrassing!" She cried. Suddenly a thought occurred to her.

_'A waitress he's after… Wouldn't…'_

"Aren't **all** the people who work at okama bars… Men? Including the waiters? Ren… Wouldn't touch a man… No matter how much stress was built up… Nii-san wouldn't go after a man..." She cupped her chin thoughtfully.

_'Kenta… Why did you lie to me?'_

* * *

_Downstairs_

* * *

Ren had just come home. He walked past the family room but stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"Ren." His mother said again. He turned slowly to face her. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up and warning him. Carrera was smoking a pipe. Her face betrayed no emotion at all. It made Ren wary.

"What happened to the Usui kid?"

* * *

A.N//: Sorry this took so long. And yes, I believe that last line was a cliffie. But if you kill me… No chapter nine for you, hahaha. 

_(1): _Vol 3, of the manga I believe. I made it a reference just in case you guys were going WTF. There's a little note about it. This belongs to Yuna Kagesaki too.

_(2):_ Roy Mustang, the player, the Flame Alchemist. Fullmetal Alchemist. I'd like to say something spoilish about the player part… But I won't… But he's not a player anymore, he's getting married to Riza in my story… Which I need to update… Probably. Don't own by the way.

Okama bar. Not sure, _exactly_ what it is. So I was a bit presumptuous. But I believe the gist of it is, guys dress up like girls. I got it from Ouran High School Host Club. If anyone could properly explain what an okama bar is to me, that'd be great.

Chapter Nine: A Mother's Instincts

Carrera finds out the truth, and Karin investigates.

Please review and leave any constructive criticism you may have. There's a newborn in my house right now, (my nephew). So if you leave a flame, I will track you down and kill you. Bastards... There's an infant around...


	9. A Mother's Instincts

**Always Together is SO Embarrassing**

**Chapter Nine**

**A Mother's Instincts**

**A.N//: Thanks to those who reviewed. Thanks especially, to the people who cleared up the sister/brother thing. Now, would you like me to change it back?**

**Ren, Carrera and Henry are hard to write. Especially Carrera… And surprisingly, Winner. Therefore, I will write her my way, and I hope that it'll work. Gomen… And I believe I've put Ren on a low pedestal, haven't I…? This is rhetorical.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Karin, or anything I'm going to reference. Karin belongs to Yuna Kagesaki, and everything else except the plot belongs to… People other than me.**

* * *

_Recap_

* * *

_"Ren." His mother said again. He turned slowly to face her. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up and warning him. Carrera was smoking a pipe. Her face betrayed no emotion at all. It made Ren wary._

_"What happened to the Usui kid?"_

* * *

_End recap

* * *

__Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

The awkward silence was accented by the constant ticking of the grandfather clock. Ren and Carrera were sitting in their usual positions in their usual chairs. Carrera sighed.

"So. Is my son going to tell me, or will I have to force it out of him." She said, it was a statement of fact rather than a question.

"Pfft. You know the answer already." Ren scoffed, looking away.

"Well then."

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

The awkward silence made itself even more apparent as it ticked by them. Ren yawned, and as he yawned, a lone, crumpled piece of paper fell out of his pocket.

And then it was gone.

Carrera laughed triumphantly. She was holding it between her thumb and forefinger.

"What's this?" She asked, mocking Ren. Ren didn't answer, and instead chose to glare. She started to de-wrinkle it…

"No!" Ren suddenly started. Carrera looked at him skeptically.

"I thought that by your reaction that it didn't mean anything." Ren swore under his breath. Carrera's slipper came and hit him.

"No swearing." She continued to uncrumple the paper.

Ren resentfully watched her. He spoke up.

"Wait!" Carrera sighed tiredly (of him) and looked at him.

"I'll tell you." He said.

* * *

"Why would he lie?" Maki asked, over the phone. 

"I don't know." Karin said, exasperated.

"Well, do you want to investigate?" Karin quirked her head confusedly.

"Investigate? You mean spy." She said.

"Well, you can't exactly ask straight out," Maki said. "Kenta-kun? Why did you lie to me?" She impersonated. Karin sighed.

"I guess you're right." Suddenly an idea occurred to her. "But what if he _wasn't_ lying, and he finds out we were spying…?"

"Then he's not lying. At least you know." Maki said. "But… From what you've told me. He was lying. Your brother doesn't seem the type to go to an _okama_ bar."

"All right then." Karin replied, dully.

"Are you all right? With this?" Maki asked.

"I'll meet you outside the park tomorrow then." Karin replied. She hung up.

_'Kenta…'_

* * *

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

And it was awkward silence yet again.

"So." Carrera said. "Usui is becoming one of us, then." Ren made a face of distaste.

"Pfft. What an insult." He said. "No, he isn't becoming one of us. He's just going to go half way and stay there." Carrera met his scoff with a raised eyebrow. She motioned for him to keep going.

"Karin's blood is mixing with Usui's." Ren explained, annoyed. "And since he limited her variety of victims," He made a face. "He's gaining vampire aspects, but somehow, he's retaining his humanity."

"How long did it take you to search the dictionary??" Carrera asked, dryly. Ren scowled, but said nothing. "So basically, we have a screwed up human." Ren shrugged.

"You could say that." Carrera sighed.

"Don't tell your father, then."

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

"Done." Ren stood up and left.

"Wait." Carrera stopped him. Ren sighed, annoyed.

"Damn." He said under his breath.

"Can this be reversed?" She asked his back. Ren stiffened.

"No, they'll die if you try. At the same time."

"Another reason not to tell your father, then." Ren nodded, and left. Carrera stayed sitting and puffed her pipe.

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Ti----_

"Anju, you can come out now." She said.

* * *

Karin sat on a lonely bench as the wind blew past her. 

_'Is this right…?'_ She thought. Her cell rang.

"Hello." She said.

"Ah, Karin?" Maki asked.

"Yes."

"I can't make it. I'm sorry…"

"It's okay." She hung up. She stared at nothing. Then she picked up her phone and called someone.

"I was heading out to see you actually…"

"Kay, I'll see you."

"See you." The phone clicked off.

_'Is this…'_

"Hi, Karin."

"Hey!" She said enthusiastically. Seemingly.

"So are we ready?" She nodded; yes.

_'…Right?' _

Kenta offered his arm and she took it. With her other hand she picked up a picnic basket.

It was spring. Finally. All the girls were supposed to meet up and have a _hanami _party, but for some reason, none of them could make it. Except Karin, so she was all alone.

Luckily, Kenta was free. So after Maki had said she couldn't make it, Karin had called him.

Apparently, he was on his way to see her anyway, so they decided to make it a date.

She glanced at him while they were walking.

"I've never been to a _hanami _party." Kenta said. "So all you do is watch the cherry blossoms?"

"You celebrate spring and flowers, Kenta-kun. You celebrate it with friends and people you love and trust." Kenta looked at her and smiled. But then he noticed something.

There was an expression in Karin's eyes when she had said _trust._

_'Does she…'_

They had made it to the middle of Shiihaba park, where all the cherry blossom trees were. It was starting to crowd.

"Kenta-kun?" Kenta had zoned off. He looked at her again. The expression was there, but was very faint. But there still. He recognized it now. He had seen it often in Ren's eyes.

It was a challenge.

He shivered. (Karin didn't see) Karin set the picnic basket down and pulled out a blanket.

"Kenta-kun? This is a nice spot. Can you help me with the blanket?" He nodded and helped her spread the blanket down. Then they both sat and settled. All around, there were groups of people walking and enjoying the scenery the blossoms were creating. They sat, just taking it in.

Kenta sighed. Even the awesome scenery couldn't take away his state of depression.

_'Maybe… I should… Just…'_

"Karin." He said, abruptly.

"Kenta-kun." She said, abruptly. They both stared.

"You go first." Kenta said, being courteous. (Which gave him time to sort out what to say)

_''Hey, Karin. Don't die when I tell you this, because if you die, then I die. No, I'm not being mushy or romantic, I mean literally. You've been turning me into a vampire type creature, and if I keep hanging around you it'll keep on going.' This is so damn hard to explain…'_

"Kenta-kun?" Karin sweat-droppped.

_'He doesn't even look like he's listening!'_ She leaned forward, conspiratorially.

"Kenta-kun." She said, in his ear. He shivered. The tone of voice scared him. He could hear the challenge.

"Yes?" He asked, in an even tone of voice.

"I know all about it." She said. "I know all about your little secret with Ren." Kenta's eyes widened in surprise, and…

_'Horror?'_ Karin thought. _'Maybe I went too far…' _Kenta swallowed.

"So… You know then?" He asked. Karin nodded.

_'She… I don't have to worry then.' _He sighed with relief.

"That was weight off of my shoulders." He said, glad. He hadn't felt this light or this happy in days. Karin looked at him pointedly.

"What were you going to tell me?" She asked.

"Oh, what you already know." He said, oblivious.

_'Curses!'_ Karin thought. _'I almost found out.'_ She pouted.

"But I only know minor details." She said, batting her eyelashes at him. _'Ugh… To have to do this…'_ "I want to hear it from you."

Kenta stared at her oddly. _'Is she… Batting her eyelashes at me?'_

"Well…" He said, starting uncertainly. Karin looked at him intently.

_'He's telling me…'_ A wave of guilt passed over her being. _'But I had to lie to him to know…'_ She felt horrible.

"…This is hard to explain." He said, laughing nervously. "What do you know about it? Maybe it'll make it easier…" Karin froze.

_'Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no…'_

"Ah…" She said, blushing and sweating. "Why don't you just tell me everything?" Kenta gave her an odd look.

"Well… Basically… Ever since you bit me, I've been becoming a semi-vampire. And if I spend time with you then I become even _more_ like a vampire, and if we try to get rid of any of this then we'll die." He said, rambling it all from the top of his head. He just wanted to get it all over and done with. "I'm not _exactly_ a vampire, because I can go out in the day and everything and I don't have to drink blood…" He looked at Karin, who seemed to be frozen into place. "Ren told me not to tell you, because he was afraid that you'd be so guilty about it that you----" He caught the look on her face.

_'I… I…'_ Karin thought, or tried too. She couldn't think coherently anymore. Kenta reached out.

"Are you okay?" He asked. He touched her cheek. She flinched.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed. People from all around stared at her outburst. All eyes were on them.

* * *

**A.N//: This is the fruit of my ah… Month long labor to get this chapter **_**just**_ **where I wanted it…**

**And I believe I failed. **

**Ah… You can tell I have no idea what a **_**hanami**_** is anymore. I studied them briefly last year, but I forgot. Gomen, if I got it WAY off the mark. Meh… From what I can remember is that you celebrate the cherry blossoms during the one week when they're… Blossoming.**

**On another note, I've just noticed that I didn't reference anything in this chapter. **

**Chapter Ten: Truth: Shock and Hurt**

**Karin finds out, and Ren has (yet again) another talk with Kenta.**

**Reviews and constructive criticism (especially the latter) are welcomed greatly. Flames (considering how down I'm feeling as of now) will be merely **_**tolerated**_ **for **_**this **_**chapter, though it is much preferred that you don't leave them. **


	10. Truth: Shock and Hurt

**Always Together is SO Embarrassing**

**Chapter Ten**

**Truth: Shock and Hurt**

* * *

**A.N//: Thanks to the awesome feedback on the last chapter, I've managed to squash down my complex. Thanks very much for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: I own Karin. That's why I don't go to Chapters and make the people who work there look in the back for vol. 5. 'CAUSE I OWN IT!...**

**Gomen ne, it's wrong to lie. But now that school has ended (two days ago, 2:15). I'm very very booooooooored. Yes, I know I spelt that wrong. That's how bored I am. I had to add 8 extra O's.**

* * *

_Recap_

* * *

_"Are you okay?" Kenta asked, deeply concerned. He touched Karin's cheek, tenderly. She flinched._

_"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed. People from all around stopped and stared at her outburst. All eyes were on them._

* * *

_End Recap_

* * *

Everyone was staring. To everyone (except for the participants themselves) this was a planned act created for everyone's amusement. And everyone was finding it very amusing. 

"K-K-Karin." Kenta said softly, stuttering from the shock. He wasn't expecting _that._ He reached out for her and Karin hurriedly drew back and stood up. The _'audience'_ oooooo'ed. (Karin and Kenta didn't hear.)

It was their world for them, and already the sky was beginning to cry.

If Karin had felt any sympathy for Kenta at all before----

It was most _**definitely**_ gone now.

"Usui-kun." Kenta flinched now. (Though his was not nearly as noticeable as Karin's.) Karin's head was bowed and he couldn't see her expression. She was scaring him.

"Usui-kun." She said, her voice low and raspy. She looked at him straight in the eye now. He stared. Her reddish brown eyes (usually bright and friendly) were dark, cold and…

**Pissed **was the only word for it, actually.

"We're not on a first name basis, don't you know." Karin said, a slight sardonic smirk coming into her voice. She was scaring him quite a bit now. This was a part of her he hadn't seen, and he was sure if he had known that such a part _existed_: he would have preferred not seeing it at all.

_'Karin… What happened?'_ He asked silently.

"I thought I told you, _Usui-kun._" Karin said, casually. (Dangerously) "We're not on a first-name basis." Kenta blinked.

_'Did I say that out loud…?'_ He thought. In the back of his head, he thought he heard Karin, faintly.

_'Can't stop… But it feels __**soooo**__ good… But I have to stop... I can't...'_ Kenta stepped back in confusion.

_'Her mouth isn't moving… So why can I hear her…?'_

_'You lied to me.' _Kenta heard. He found himself answering.

_'I had to.'_

_'I __**trusted**__ you.' _She said.

_'I'm sorry.'_ She glared at him.

"I don't believe you." She said, in a low voice. "Not now." The _'audience'_ gasped. Excited whispers rang through the crowd.

_"A lover's spat!"_

_"How exciting!"_

_"What's she talking about? He didn't say anything…"_

_"Cake…"_

"K----" Kenta started, but stopped. He didn't want to anger her further. He winced. "Maaka. Please, let me explain----"

"Did you really mean it? Truly? Did you really mean when you said you loved me?" Karin asked, malice gone from her voice. Looking into her eyes, he couldn't see the uncharacteristic emotions he had seen before. Her eyes were sadder now, more tame. But distrust was shining through. Kenta felt his (newly mended) heart break all over again.

"I thought you weren't going to doubt me." He said, quietly. The _'audience' _had to lean in to hear that last sentence. Karin ignored what he had said.

"Were you lying to me, even then?" She asked. When he didn't answer, she started packing up all of her stuff, and left. Kenta just stood there, shocked.

In their world, there was only him now.

And then there was nobody. Because there was no world anymore.

And you can't live in a place that doesn't exist.

_Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. _

Rounds of slow clapping clapped him out of his shocked trance.

_"Nice performance… Bit choppy though."_

_"Bit over dramatic…"_

_"Cake…"_

* * *

_'1, 2. 1, 2. 1, 2. 1, 2.'_ Karin thought wearily as she walked home. She was in the outer forest near her home, but she gave no real thought to it. 

_'1, 2. 1, 2. 1, 2. 1, 2.' _She was concentrating on making sure one foot went in front of the other. She tripped.

"Darn it!" She cursed. She rubbed her knee: no blood, just a bruise. "I hate this!" She cried, not making it clear _what_ she hated. There were a few things she could have been talking about.

Possible Meaning #1: _She hates the tiring and annoying forest she has to endure through to get home._

Possible Meaning #2: _She hates how she handled the truth earlier._

Possible Meaning #3: _She hates Kenta for hiding said truth from her._

Possible Meaning #4: _All of the above._

She got up, brushed herself off and started home again.

She didn't notice the bat flying off in the opposite direction.

* * *

The angsty black parade had started up again. Only this time, the parade was considerably more angsty than last time. 

It was a nice night, but it didn't seem _real _to Kenta. Not after everything that had happened only an hour and a half before. Walking through the street, he was the transparent nobody with the creepy eyes. Nobody took notice of him, and of course, he took notice of nobody.

Unfortunately, there's almost always a contradiction for everything.

As he passed by a dark, scanty alley, someone took hold of him and pulled him in.

"I told you once; _you hurt my sister, I beat the shit out of you._" Kenta stared blankly at Ren while he said this.

_'Am I supposed to care at this point?'_ He thought. Ren sighed.

"But considering that this is also my fault, I won't." He glared at Kenta, though it held less fire than his glares usually did. "Consider yourself lucky." At this, Kenta started laughing; his fangs flashing. He couldn't stop. It was if all the pent up emotion was coming out, and he couldn't stop it.

"_Lucky? **Lucky!** _You think this is lucky? I'd prefer if you'd beat the shit out of me, it's what I deserve." He screamed, through his hysterical laughter. It was a miracle no one came to investigate the noise. "You said yourself, _the guilt from knowing the truth would kill her!_ Well then this makes me a murderer, doesn't it?" Ren stared.

"You can still fix this." He said, quietly.

"Fix this how! I can't kill myself or anything, because that would mean I'd be killing her at the same time!"

"Idiot." Ren said, harshly. He punched Kenta in the face. "Killing yourself? You give me more of a reason to hate your kind." He started waving his hand around in exaggerated hand gestures. "You humans think killing yourself is always the answer; so selfish. I doubt half of those suicide cases ever _really _think about what their death will bring to the people around them.----"

"Stop giving me more reasons to laugh." Kenta said, just as harshly. A purple bruise was blossoming on his cheek from where Ren had punched him, but he took no notice. "Human? You're calling _me_ human?" He brushed a finger against one of his canines, cutting himself in the process.

"You're even more of a _**fucking**_ idiot than I thought!" Ren yelled. "You're the most idiotic human I've ever met! If you killed yourself and Karin survived, how do you think she'd feel?" Kenta said nothing. "She already feels like _absolute __**shit **_right now. If you killed yourself and she survived, how much worse do you think she'll feel?"

"I----…"

"Exactly. Pfft… Selfish stupid humans…" Ren said. He softened his voice. (A rare occurrence)

"Like I said, you can still fix this."

"How?" Kenta asked, miserably. He was going to take all the help and advice he could get.

"Go talk to her. Go beat some sense into her thick head. She's probably just freaked out right now." He sighed. "Though I don't advise doing it any time soon. Give her some space for a while. She's in a mood that even _I _wouldn't want to approach her right now." Kenta nodded. Ren sighed, yet again.

"That's all I wanted to say, I'm taking off." He licked his lips. "I'm hungry." He turned to go.

"Wait!" Kenta said.

"What?" Ren replied, exasperated. Kenta gave Ren an odd look.

"There was this odd moment where it kind of seemed like me and Karin were… Talking in each other's heads." He said, nervously. (Slowly) Ren scoffed.

"Don't you remember?" He asked, annoyed. "You guys get a link mixed into this mess as well. That was probably it."

"Oh…" Kenta said. He was too tired to give a longer answer.

"Was that it? Good. Finally." Ren said, hurriedly leaving.

It was only until Kenta was standing outside his home that he realized that he had been (and still was) crying, not laughing.

* * *

Karin lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. After everything she had gone through that day, she was so desperately _tired._

But she couldn't go to sleep, no matter how she tried.

She clutched her pillow to her stomach and sat up.

_'Why… Why did I react like that?' _She thought. She was embarrassed, confused, but above all: depressed. _'I couldn't stop…'_

She started to cry. Not the loud, snotty kind she was most accustomed too, but a soundless, anguished sob. An odd pain was in her cheek, but she paid it no heed.

Possible Meaning #5: _She hated herself for being the reason all of this happened._

* * *

Anju felt, rather than heard, Karin's anguish. She sighed. 

_'Onee-chan…----'_ She thought longingly in her head. A lone tear fell down her cheek and onto Boogie-kun. She shook it off and went to her room.

* * *

**A.N//: Ah… Some of you might kill me for this, but… **

**This wasn't as angsty as I would have liked. Heh he… Ahem.**** I can be pretty angsty, but… **_**(shrugs)**_** Oh well. There's enough angst in here I suppose. They've been through enough in this chapter.**

**Yet again, I did not reference anything in this chapter.**

**I liked this chapter, actually. It's a nice change from all the fluff I usually write. And (in my opinion) it makes the seriousness of this story stand out more. That's what I was missing from the anime; the seriousness. The seriousness from the manga (and the novel, which I started with) got me into Karin in the first place. The anime was too light hearted in comparison. Not that I didn't enjoy it.**

**Chapter Eleven: A Little Sister's Thoughts**

**Anju's thoughts on everything that has happened so far. **

**Reviews and constructive criticism please. I really appreciate them (what writer doesn't?) and it's always a joy to reply to them. Flames? Well, I've only had one flame in my whole "**_**career"**_, **and that was for my first fic. Please don't add another to my almost spotless record. **


	11. A Little Sister's Thoughts

**Always Together is SO Embarrassing**

**Chapter Eleven**

**A Little Sister's Thoughts**

* * *

**A.N//: Thanks to all those who reviewed before. Now…**

**Oooh… Yes, it has been a month, so you, you… You annoying private messaging person who thought I was dead, I AM NOT. You know, summer is a time to relax, sleep in, maybe live on soup for a few days, and **_**technically**_** get banned from the mall, but that is probably just me. Go annoy someone else now, it's not amusing anymore. Well, if all those reports got any attention, you won't have an account to private message anyone **_**with**_, **so… ****I'M NOT DEAD!**

**Warning: Episode 20 spoiler and manga vol 8 spoiler. Yes, the latter isn't out in English, but research and well-placed connections can get you very far. So can wikipedia, so the people who have checked it out will know what the spoiler is. But I didn't use wikipedia.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Karin. Oh, and just to warn you, this chapter may be screwed up, since apparently I was writing it beyond the grave. **

* * *

_Recap_

* * *

_Anju felt, rather than heard Karin's anguish. She sighed (in what was mostly annoyed exasperation.)_

_'Onee-chan----' She thought longingly in her head. A lone (uncharacteristic) tear fell down her cheek and onto Boogie-kun. She shook it off and went to her room._

* * *

_End recap

* * *

_Anju wasn't particularly hungry; she had feasted on a very lonely girl (prone to jealousy) at the park earlier, and she was still content from it. 

The walls seemed to be pressing in again. Everything seemed to be becoming claustrophobic now---- Or maybe that was the lack of proper sleep talking.

She didn't know why she bothered looking after her anymore. Karin could look after herself, and she had Kenta to clean up her messes. It was most likely force of habit that she deprived herself of sleep so she could watch over her sister.

She knew that once her vampire powers awakened that Karin would be all alone under the sun. But then Kenta had come along. She couldn't possibly overlook the opportunity he represented. Besides, if he let out the secret, his memories could simply _disappear._

She had looked at it from every angle, anticipated every possible outcome, and had concluded that Kenta would keep his promise. He had made that big (albeit slightly embarrassing) speech after all.

But she had not anticipated that Kenta would turn into a sort of… Vampire… Human… Freak… _Thing_---- Something that occured so rarely that it didn't even have a proper name yet!

And if she had, none of this would have happened, since she would have never allowed Kenta to know the family secret.

Anju groaned. "Angsty teenage hormone-driven morons!" She said to herself. She knew Karin could be quite a dunce (even more so at the worst of times.) She was so indecisive, clumsy, dense, naïve: so utterly Karin. Her sister. Inspite of all the idiotic things, she loved her, and how she longed to make Kenta black and blue.

On the other hand, she was the one who _technically_ (though unintentionally) brought them into this. If it wasn't for her, Kenta and Karin would have probably have never gotten so close. And their being close brought them into this, so really it was kind of her fault, if you looked at it closely.

But then again, Karin and Kenta didn't have to go closer than friends, nor did Karin have to bite Kenta, and Karin didn't have to offer up his neck (er, down, since Karin was shorter) to her, so really it was _their_ fault they were in this mess.

Of course, Ren could have told both Karin and Kenta, and all this dramatic angst would not have not have been necessary.

Anju groaned again. Even if she hadn't been sleep deprived, her genius mind was not up to sorting the mess out. She lay on her bed.

She missed the times when it was simpler. When Kenta was another person in the world they would never know. When Karin relied mostly on her to help her out, and when she could go out and look after Karin personally, instead of having to send a bat. She missed the younger days when she would follow Karin and Karin would protect her from dogs. When it all came down to it, she missed her sister, really. She hadn't got to see her that much due to her powers awakening. She was lonely.

Anju sighed and shook it all off.

_'Sorry, Onee-chan.'_ She thought as her eyes drew the curtains. _'You and your unfortunate lover boy are going to have to survive without my help.' _And with that, Anju fell into a (well-earned) sleep.

* * *

**End Act Two**

* * *

**A.N//: Screwed up, neh? (grumbles) I hope I've earned a good sleep…**

**Try, (if you dare, in spite of the fact that it hasn't come out in English yet) to find the vol. 8 spoiler. I don't recommend it though. **

**No references again.**

**Go to chapter 12, I've written it already.**

**Reviews and constructive criticism, yada yada yada. You should know the drill by now. Flames aren't welcome: but if you should happen to give me any, I'll send you a recording of 50 babies wailing on full power, and it will follow you around and it can't be destroyed and turned off. Try and survive that.**


	12. Winning Winner Pt 2

**Always Together is So Embarrassing**

**Chapter Twelve**

**Winning Winner Pt. 2**

* * *

**A.N//: Lucky it's summer. It's 3:35 a.m now. I can sleep in. Thanks to those who are ****going to review.**** This was put up with chapter eleven, where I have already thanked the reviewers, but I'll do it again. Thanks for ****reviewing.**** Warning: A bit of cheesiness with extra cheese. Maybe. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Karin. Has it been printed into your heads yet?**

* * *

Something (or someone) was plaguing the thoughts and dreams of one Winner Sinclair, and it wasn't Karin-chan. 

It was Wonderful-Savior-san, and he wanted to know why. Why Wonderful-Savior-san----

Why _Maki_-san seemed to him bathed in lovely feelings that belonged to Karin-chan, while Karin-chan seemed to be yesterday's news. He leapt up into the only way Winner could: _in the dramatic._

"No! Impossible!" He started his rant off. Maki Tokitou: the object of his thoughts (unbeknownst to her), sighed and lay back on the grass. The library had long kicked them out, and the park had too many people in it at the time. So Winner and Maki had to settle for a small spot near the river to study.

She had learnt to let Winner go his course and wait to tire himself out before she continued to tutor him. She smiled a bitter smile.

_'He's probably talking about Karin.'_ She thought. She had closed her eyes and tuned out Winner's ranting. _'She's lucky. Having a boyfriend already and having another boy to fall back on…----'_ She shook her head vigorously.

_'She's your friend. Your **best** friend. It's not her fault that you've fallen for a boy who's already got his sights on her. Besides, she has bigger problems with the guy __**she**__ loves, who loves __**her**__ back. No, no, Karin is my best friend, she is not to blame.'_ Maki sighed. But it was hard not to blame her. She'd never have what Karin and Kenta have. Not with Winner at least. It brought stinging tears to her eyes, so she tried to banish the thought away: she liked hopeful denial. But it was too late. She had denounced hopeful denial, and now there was only hopeless acceptance in its place.

"Why are you so melancholy, Maki-san?" Winner asked in a solemn voice, so unlike his usual loud exuberant one. Maki's eyes flew open. His face was just inches away from her own; so close she could…

Memories of that one moment of bittersweet ecstasy came rushing back like a stake to the heart. She couldn't be around him anymore. It was too much for her to handle now.

And there was nothing more to lose by telling him why she was so melancholy was there? _Nothing more to lose._

"Because of you." She said, sitting up.

"Me? Winner Sinclair?" Winner asked in shock. "Vampire Hunter extraordinaire?" (In his shock, he forgot that Karin was a vampire)

"Yes. You." Maki said. "You're close all the time, but I can never…" She made as if to cup his cheek, but stopped.

"I can never hope for you to return what I feel for you." She gathered her books, as quickly as she could, and stood up. As she did, a tear escaped her stronghold and landed on Winner. She ran.

Winner just kneeled there.

_'What I feel for you…'_ He processed her words. He stood up.

"But I do." He said. He ran the same direction she did, trying to make up for lost time. He mentally thanked his grandfather for pushing him to his limits as a child, or he never would have been able to run this fast.

* * *

Maki leaned against the wall of the phone booth, panting. Wordlessly, thoughtlessly, she went into the phone booth, and put in a few yen. She dialed the number. (Her cell was out of minutes) 

"Maki-san?" Karin asked, her voice thick. She must have been crying as well.

"Karin." Maki started. She hesitated. "Aren't boys stupid?" And then she started explaining everything through a thick blanket of tears to her best friend.

Winner ran through random streets, screaming out "Maki!" He had a huge stitch at his side, but he didn't care. He narrowly avoided running into a phone booth and kept on.

* * *

At the precise moment Winner had run past the phone booth, Maki stepped out. She headed to the subway: she was going to Karin's house, which was on the other side of town. 

Maki stepped on board, and looked for a seat. She found one. She set her bag under the seat, fell into it and tried to relax.

* * *

Winner stood with his hands on his knees, heaving. He acknowledged he was at the Shiihaba subway station. He was not exactly sure how he got there. And then he saw it. A flash of green. Her hair. 

She was on board already, her back to the window. He was positive it was her, and Winner Sinclair had never been so positive of anything in his life. He ran to the train just as the doors closed and it started moving. He yelled and yelled her name.

"Maki! Maki!" He yelled. Some passerby's told him to shut up but he paid no attention. He tried to get close enough to grab her attention: to tap on the window at least. And then, just as he was close enough for his fingers to brush against the window, the train accelerated out of his reach and went through the tunnel. She was gone.

* * *

**A.N//: I've had this scene in my head for a while. I hope I've done it justice. This took a lot out of me…**

**Winner is out of character, yes. But he had to grow up, simple as that.**

**The bittersweet moment of ecstasy was the kiss. From the anime, after Maki gave Winner the scarf, she kissed him.**

**No references that I know of, besides the kiss. But my disclaimer already has that covered.**

**Reviews and constructive critism if you have any. I'm very tired, so flames aren't welcome, since I'll have to be awake so I can extinguish them. **


	13. Chapter 13

How long has it been...? 9 months. 9 months since I've updated.

Well, I am extremely sad, regretful (and as it happens, a little afraid) to announce that I have decided to _abandon_ Always Together is SO Embarrassing.

It's just that I can't find it in me to keep on writing it. The finished chapter thirteen was accidentally thrown away by my mom in January, and I just can't find it in me to re-write it and go on from there.

**(WARNING! A spoiler. I think.)**

(And I guess that it doesn't help that chapter thirteen was another Winner chapter, called _Missing Maki_, and I just hate Winner. Maki deserves someone better, dammit! Like what's-his-face who bossed Kenta around in the manga in vol 5 when Elda woke up, or one of those other guys that talk to Kenta in the manga.)

If any of you have checked lately, Karin officially ended in February in Japan. I didn't actually _read_ the ending, as I can't er... understand kana (yet!), but from the huge discussion there was about it, I think I get the gist.

However, Respectable Life, the story that was supposed to be the sequel to this, will be posted. Of course, the original plot has been scrapped, as it ties in a lot with this one, and a new one is in the making. I don't know when I'll post it, but it will be posted. (Most likely, after all of the manga has been translated and released here.)

**I'd like to say I am very, very sorry, as I know many of you wanted me to finish this. I'm sorry myself, because I really wanted to go on with this as well, and it makes me sad that I'm just giving up on Kenta and Karin and the rest of them at a very angsty and critical point. But thanks everyone, for sticking by it for this long, and for giving me all of your lovely comments and reviews.**

**-Free Hero.**


End file.
